How I made this photo pt 2

After posting this image & getting a few requests for a bit more detail on how this photo was made I figured it would be a good idea to make it part two of this series…

Photography by Howard's Photo - Walking down the aisle

One comment suggested this photo had a cinematic feel to it. I feel this is not only down to the post processing but also due to the way the photo was captured. For those of you who want to know what equipment was used here it is. I used the Fuji XT-1 with 56mm f1.2 lens. The camera was in manual mode set to 1/125th, f1.2, ISO 1000 in single auto focus mode with the focus patch as large as it would go…

Below are the series of images coming before and after this main one. Seeing what came before & after can help demonstrate what makes this photo stronger than the rest. Hopefully that makes sense! It does to me at least.

Above you can see the slideshow of photos. To me the images that came before are not as strong. They appear ‘flat’ with little depth. You can't see the faces of the guests either. I decided to move across to the right to grab a shot of the groom waiting for his bride & continued to shoot the Bride & her father as they approached. Here are where a few things come into play that in my opinion help to make this a strong image. 

Firstly I tucked myself in behind one of the bridesmaids & used her to help add some depth to the photo. Having the bridesmaid out of focus in the foreground really does help to ‘put you in the scene’ making you feel more connected to the photo. Without the bridesmaid in the frame it would appear a little ‘flatter’.

Secondly is the equipment used. I don’t like to thank the equipment for ‘making’ photos but in this case it is helping. The XT-1 nailed the focus & the shallow depth of field created by the 56mm 1.2 at 1.2 helps to soften the background even at this distance, again helping to give that ‘cinematic’ feel.

The third thing that help this image is the post processing. Below is the original RAW file. As you can see the image is still strong. The composition is perfect (for my taste) & the exposure is about right already.

RAW file from the XT-1

RAW file from the XT-1

Now that you have seen the original file here are some screen prints from Lightroom down below. I used one of a few presets that I currently have with just a tweak to the exposure. I believe they are VSCO based presets. As you can see a bit of Lightroom love goes a long way in achieving that ‘cinematic’ look. Flattening the image out in the tone curve, highlights & shadows sliders helps to give a slight film like look. This preset works well for this photo but it doesn’t always work. Sometimes this preset will flatten the image too much.

Feel free to copy & use this preset. But please post some of your images below. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post. It is a little rushed but I don’t have much time this week…

As always please Like, Comment & Subscribe.

Howard

Fuji's first test!

So this was the first real test for my all Fuji kit... A church wedding followed by reception at a converted barn... This was a great test for the Fuji set up & it did prove challenging at times... I know people will want to hear about what I was shooting so here is a list to start with...

XT-1, X Pro 1, x100s, 56mm 1.2, 35mm 1.4, 18mm 2.0, Samyang 12mm 2.0, Nissin i40, 2 x Yongnuo YN560 II's & The North Face Roo II pack...

The first thing to mention is the weight! This set up was really light.... I had the x100s around my neck & the XT-1/X Pro 1 on an OpTech dual strap (designed for binoculars) fastened with a 'Blackrapid Fastnr Hitch' on each camera... After 14 hours I still felt fairly fresh which definitely would not have been the case if I was shooting my full frame Nikon set up... So Fuji wins here for sure...

However there were some issues... Autofocus still isn't quite there... I feel I will need to change my approach & opt to take different shots with the Fuji system... The AF just isn't as quick as with a DSLR when the light is a little low... Shooting with day light is fine, not an issue at all... But when the light drops I found the camera's struggling a little, even the XT-1... I did however manage to get most of the shots I went for so I feel this is just going to be a learning curve... I need to play the Fuji system to its advantages & know it's disadvantages... Practice is key here...

Macro work using the 16mm Extension Tube was a little messy too but again I feel I just need more practice with it... A dedicated macro lens with good manual focus would have been better & the 90mm Tamron macro lens is tempting although I do want to keep the weight & size of the kit down so for now I just need to practice with the extension tube & learn how to use it best...

Onto the lenses... I can't knock any of them to be honest, they all worked great... The 12mm didn't get much use but did come in handy for a shot where the bride was coming down the stairs when I wanted to get all the bridesmaids in the frame too... The 56 was great for candid portraits of the bide getting ready & guests from a distance... The 35 is a great leans for detail shots as it is fast, focuses close, is plenty sharp & has lovely bokeh in my opinion... The 18 was a great little lens... Some bash it because it is a little soft in the corners... Oh well, I don't really care much about corner sharpness as my corners are normally out of focus anyway... A lens with soft corners here is an advantage... The x100s is still my baby... Small, discreet, fast enough most of the time... I love shooting the x100s for candids at the reception... It gives a great perspective including enough of what is going on but still rendering soft backgrounds at f2 or 2.8...

Enough talking! Here is a slideshow with a selection of images throughout the day for you to click through... I feel the Fuji system has done a great little job... Let me know what you think... Please like, comment & subscribe...

Howard

How I made this photo pt1

Ok so this may seem a bit of a boring one to start off with but I figured I would feature it as it does demonstrate the use of some of the current features we have with our X cameras... In this post I will cover the whole set up & show you how I got it from its starting point to the finished edit... 

The Fuji 35 1.4 is so sharp even this spike fella is a bit on edge...

As a part of my cactus collection this spike little guy is a great test subject for testing out lenses... His sharp bits are really sharp & there is enough depth to judge the smoothness of the lenses bokeh... Perfect... 

The lighting set up for this photo was simple... No need to get fancy here, just an 18 watt bulb in this small desk lamp... The ambient lighting in the room was fairly low too & this is worth noting... I will elaborate on that shortly... 

The light was to camera right at 45° up & 45° across from the subject... A typical Rembrandt lighting set up using only one light with little fill from ambient light in the room... This is a great technique for giving the photo that extra pop & level of sharpness... Using one light in this fashion gives contrast & contrast adds to the effect of a sharp image... The image to the right demonstrates the set up... 

As you can see this is a fairly warm light but thats no problem for the fuji cameras... WB was left in AUTO & I did not touch it after!

Another factor that plays a significant roll in image sharpness is camera technique... Good focus, shutter speed & aperture all play a roll when you are trying to create a sharp photo but so too does your hand holding ability... My camera settings for this shot were as follows : 1/125th, f2.8, 2500 ISO... Shooting this image at 1/125th was quick enough to avoid any camera shake, on top of that I also made sure to get a good solid base by resting on the desk... I chose to shoot this at photo at f2.8... I wanted enough detail to be in focus to allow the photo to pop but also wanted a fairly shallow depth of field to give a nice effect... ISO was the last setting in the exposure triangle & I simply set it where it needed to be based on the real time exposure preview that these great mirrorless cameras offer...

Some purists may look at the above image & ask 'why is he using the screen & not the EVF?'... Well there are a few reasons... Firstly & most importantly is because for close up work like this, sitting upright & looking at the screen is more comfortable... I have a desk to rest on so it made sense... I can brace myself & remain more stable... Secondly is down to the focus peaking & nailing it... I shot in manual focus & used the AF-L button on the back of the XT-1 to prefocus to roughly where I wanted to be... I then moved the camera in & out while watching the focus peaking do its thing on the LCD screen... Doing this is much easier with the screen than trying to do it with the EVF... 

The screen prints above are of all my Lightroom Modifications... These are based on one of a few colour presets I use so please fee free to copy it, use it & post your images in the comment section... Below is a tight crop for all of you who want to see how sharp the cactus really is...

Dammmm! So so sharp!

For those people wondering what the image looked like to begin with I have posted a comparison between the RAW file & the final edit... Here you can see just how important post processing is with this example...

Lets wrap this up & cover off some key point that came together to create this photo...

  1. Lighting - For tight work like this were you are trying to create sharp looking images experiment with one light source to give extra contrast...
  2. Use the screen - Don't be afraid of using the screen on the back of your camera... If you can get more stable then go for it...
  3. Post Production - Sharpening has a lot to do with post production... Don't be scared of adding sharpening in post... It will really give your photo the edge it needs...

Anyway people, I hope you have enjoyed reading & maybe have learnt something new... Please put these techniques into practice & share your results below...

As always, please like, comment & subscribe...

Howard

p.s. The next part of this series will feature one of my favourite photos ever... It is a street photo & I will talk about how to become invisible on the street & g into a little detail about panning... Stay tuned...